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Monday, 30 September 2013

We've had lots of people asking how they can show their support for the strikestomorrow.

Here are some practical suggestions:

1. If you live in an area where strikes are taking place go and visit a picket line to show your support. We guarantee you it will mean an awful lot to those teachers. If you're feeling really flush go mad and buy them a coffee, or make a donation to the strike fund. You will make their day! (please note they will still love you for turning up even if you don't do that)2. Tweet messages of support to us using the hashtag #teacherROAR3. Even better still, send us a photo of you holding up a message of support -- we all love a picture!4. Send an email to your local paper or TV station expressing support5. Tell friends and family that you're supporting the teachers. Ask them to send a message of support too.

Expecting large numbers of ﬁre ﬁghters in their late 50s to
ﬁght ﬁres and rescue families is not just ludicrous: it’s dangerous to the
public and to ﬁre ﬁghters.

The government is simply ignoring all the evidence — even
their own — about the physical demands of ﬁre ﬁghting and has been unable to
answer our concerns during two years of negotiations.

The government in Westminster’s proposals could mean mass
sackings as thousands of ﬁre ﬁghters become older and are no longer ﬁt
enough to do the job. Fire ﬁghters, who already pay some of the highest
contributions in the public or private sector, would also be expected to pay an
average of 13.2% of employer and employee.

This is not the deal we signed up for. None of us want a
strike, but we cannot compromise on public and ﬁre ﬁghter safety. We hope
common sense prevails, and the government returns to the
negotiating table.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, is derecognizing the organization's staff unions who represent 65,000 workers.

He will no longer negotiate with unions over issues like safety and security, welfare and conditions of service.

The people who work for the UN often risk their lives to do so. In the last decade, 555 staff have been attacked and 200 killed. They often work in dangerous and hostile locations.

The UN Staff unions are calling for support from trade unionists everywhere. They are demanding that Ban Ki-moon respect labour rights at the UN. Please support the online campaign and spread the word:

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

15 September 2013

THE Green Party has passed an emergency motion to stop the privatisation of the Royal Mail.

The Green Party motion instructs the Green Party Executive and the Green Party’s elected representatives to throw their full weight behind the ‘Save Our Royal Mail’ campaign, support the Communication Workers’ Union’s industrial and political fight against the sell-off.

"In unanimously passing the emergency motion against the sell-off of Royal Mail, the Green Party has sent out a strong and unanimous call of support for the campaign to defend our postal service, a 500-year old institution, joining with the 70% of the public who oppose the privatisation”, said motion proposer Josiah Mortimer (University of York Green Party).

"The privatisation of the Royal Mail will only lead to rising prices, worse conditions for postal workers, declining reach to rural areas, and a threat to the six-day a week service obligation.

"Unlike Labour, which tried to sell-off the Post Office several times during office, the Greens stand firmly on the side of public services and public ownership, in line with our commitment to bringing rail, energy and other privatised utilities back into public hands."

Hi Noel, Martin and Pete,

Can you publicise this event on Thursday which deals with the main environmental issue in Greece at present. This has led to riot police battling with villagers and protesters trying to preserv one of Europe's main ancient forests.

Cheers

Joseph

Gold mining in Greece: stories of resistance and repression

Come and hear first-hand accounts of resistance to gold mining in Greece by Eldorado Gold, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange.Thursday 19 September, 7 to 9pm, Unite House, 128 Theobald’s Road, Holborn, London, WC1X 8TN.Nearest tube Holborn. See map at http://goo.gl/maps/KAWWX.

Under the pretext of a severe financial crisis Greece is reasserting its investor-friendly profile by opening up all goldmines across the country without regard to the threats that mining poses to the environment and to people’s livelihoods. Foreign investors are particularly welcome: fast track processes; tax relief; exception from damages; easy money; no royalties; no problems.

But the true picture is not so rosy! Sham public consultations, questionable deals designed to advance specific corporate interests and the slow but steady destruction of the environment have been met with resistance. The struggle to oppose Eldorado Gold’s plans to create an enormous open pit mine on Mount Kakavos and within the ancient forest of Skouries has succeeded in capturing people’s imagination and inspiring waves of solidarity across the country.

While organising their long campaign affected communities have learned a lot about Greek law; geology; environmental science; and the technologies of extraction. As they did so, they begun to ask questions about development, participation, human rights and the public interest. Their questions were answered by the riot police.

Now the people from Skouries are bringing this discussion to London. Lazaros Toskas, member of the Struggle Coordinating Committee of Megali Panagia, will share stories of resistance and repression, of mining, rights and the politics of development.

Other speakers from Corporate Watch, Greece Solidarity Campaign and London Mining Network.

Tuesday, 17 September 2013

From: TMellish@TUC.ORG.UKTo:Subject: FW: HOVIS DISPUTEColleagues, please see below for your immediate attention. Please support. Many of you will not be able to be there physically but please send messages of support.

From: T ABBOTT [mailto:t.abbott801@btinternet.com]Sent: 16 September 2013 11:01To: Kara Stevens; Sumner, Nicola; Formby, Jennie - UNITE Political Director; (dave.quayle@trafford.gov.uk) ; SHARON HUTCHINSON; Mick; JohnLea; Graham, Des (EC); Tom Mellish; Alex Halligan; Neil Sheehan; Peter Bury; Andrew Ford; &#39;tony.woodhouse@live.co.uk&amp;#39; ; tucwigan@yahoo.comSubject: HOVIS DISPUTEAfter a four hour battle with the Police and scab Management this morning Monday the 16th, nothing came out of the plant for two hours then escorted by the police the first wagon took 40 minutes to travel just over 500 metres,but a price was paid when three of the pickets were arrested at the main junction when the police used heavy handed tacticsand threw a female across the road on to her back narrowly missing the pavement edge and a set of railings.Comrades we are calling for a show of solidarity on Wednesday the 18th from 2am to support the Hovis workers and the Bakers Union in their heroic strike against zero hours contracts.Please make every sacrifice they are on a 24 hour picket line, they are fighting on behalf of the whole TradeUnion Movement against Slave Labour. The address of the plant is Cale Lane, Wigan WN2 1HD,

Wednesday, 4 September 2013

Blimey, we won something! PCS won our legal challenge to Eric Pickles' decision to scrap check-off in he Department of Communities and Local Government.

I think this, posted in the PCS members' Facebook group, is going to be the statement on the PCS site later:

Eric Pickles costs taxpayers £90,000 in attack on union

Taxpayers face a £90,000 legal bill after communities secretary Eric Pickles' "reckless and political" attack on the Public and Commercial Services union was ruled unlawful.

The Department for Communities and Local Government had tried to unilaterally end a decades-old system for collecting union subscriptions through salaries -- an arrangement that costs the department just £300 a year to administer.

But a High Court judge ruled today (3) the move was a breach of contract and must be reversed, and that DCLG will have to pay the union's legal costs as well as its own.

The judge agreed with the union that having union subscriptions deducted through salaries -- known as 'check off' -- forms part of DCLG staff members' contracts and therefore could not be withdrawn without consent.

Pickles has previously advised local authorities to end check off but was the first cabinet minister to attempt to apply it in the civil service.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "It is staggering that Eric Pickles pressed ahead with this reckless and political attempt to undermine our union in his department.

"Pickles has very serious questions to answer about why he decided to spend tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money fighting to scrap something that costs less than £30 a month."

There'll be some video of this morning's protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the PCS Euston Tower Branch YouTube channel later (I ain't finished editing it yet!)

Local Councils across Britain are in severe financial crisis, finding it difficult to carry out their statutory duties and certainly unable to expand and improve services in a climate of growing need. Brighton and Hove Council is in a particularly difficult situation, having suffered deeper cuts in central government funding than most.

● What is to be done?

● How can Green Councillors in Brighton and Hove and elsewhere most effectively fight the cuts?

● What role can Green Party members and anti-cuts campaigners play?

● How best to link up with local campaigns against council cuts ?

● How much more difficult is this when our Green Council in Brighton and Hove are making cuts?

● What should be our response to anti cuts campaigns in Brighton and elsewhere?

● Should Green Party members support Council workers and Unions in dispute with Councils?Even Green led Councils?Should Green Councillors anywhere EVER vote for cuts?

Lend Labor Day Love to These 4 Striking Worker Groups

(acknowledgements to Pete Frmin (Brent Fightback))

1. Fast Food Workers

The labor dispute gaining the most attention currently is between fast food workers and their management. Unions have organized sporadic strikes at assorted restaurants across the country, including McDonalds, Taco Bells and KFCs, though there are currently mobilization efforts to turn the strike into a nationwide action.

Workers are demanding both the ability to unionize and a living wage. The $200 billion fast food industry is hardly short on profits to pay its employees fairly, but it may require the companies to stop paying their executives more than twice as much in a single day than their average worker makes in a year.

BART workers haven’t received a raise in five years; their union representatives argue that pay needs to be adjusted to not only match inflation, but also the extraordinary cost of living around San Francisco.

Since last autumn, the Minnesota Orchestra has been in a prolonged labor dispute with its management. After having to cancel last year’s symphony season altogether, it looks similar action could occur this year if an agreement isn’t reached in the next couple of weeks. This time, however, if the two parties can’t successfully negotiate, the Minnesota Orchestra is likely to be permanently — apology for the pun — disbanded.

Thus far, the musicians are unimpressed with the management’s offer to cut their base pay by 32%. While the Minnesota Orchestra did agree to a mediator’s proposed compromise that would have the group rehearsed and ready for upcoming Carnegie Hall concerts, it was the management that declined this proposal.

4. Port Truck Drivers

Los Angeles and Long Beach port truck drivers are fighting the good fight for the ability to unionize. Comparing their jobs to “sweatshops on wheels,” the truckers complain that they are paid wages that leave them in poverty, are denied bathroom breaks and are forced to work overtime without compensation.

Thus far, the drivers’ parent company, Green Fleet, has intimidated the workers from trying to unionize, even going so far as to hire a law firm known for union-busting. Still, their threats were not enough to stop over one-third of the workforce from striking this past Monday, hindering the day’s shipping business.

Please contact P.Murry at yrrumuk@googlemail.com if you are interested.

GREEN LEFT FRINGE AT AUTUMN CONFERENCE 2012

Both Green Left and the Green Party Trade Union Group applied to have fringes at the Green Party Conference September 7-10 2012, Conferences Committee turned down both these requests. Green Left decided to mount a fringe outside conference at 6-8pm on Saturday 8th September GPTU agreed to support this meeting and contribute towards costs of room hire. Video clips at http://greenleftblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/green-left-fringe-fringe-at-green-party.html